KEYS
EVERYTHING CHANGES. OR NOT. | Ed Kerr
Around the time this article is published I’ll be at Next time you sit at your instrument, think the NAMM show in Los Angeles. It’s held every about choices you make before you even make January at the Anaheim Convention Center, a sound. If you’re like me, you probably have a A choice it seems we rarely talk about as
where hundreds of thousands of square feet particular range of the keyboard that your hand musicians is the choice not to play. Yep. Pick
of exhibit space feature the newest offerings of instinctively positions itself over. Before you play your hands up from the keyboard and wait.
musical instrument manufacturers from around anything, think about the choice you’re making. That’s it. Wait. Hear that nice lead vocal? Wait.
the world. Every imaginable accessory to go Will the range you’re playing in “step on” Hear how complete the acoustic guitar part
with your instrument or your sound system or activity from your guitar player? Are you about feels? Wait.
your recording studio is available there. Last to play low pitches on your instrument that will year I was inspired by a performance that compete with what your bass player is playing? The powerful thing about a musician waiting
included Lee Ritenour, John Patitucci and Will melodic activity you’ll play compete with an to play is that their next entrance will be more
Patrice Rushen on Yamaha’s Showcase Stage. instrumental hook someone else in the band significant because they haven’t been heard in
As I flew home from the event, a realization is playing? Will melodic activity you’re playing a while. And remember that after your entrance
came to me. Though I’d just seen amazing compete with the vocal melody? Will you play you can lay out again when the current section
new keyboards introduced by all the major an acoustic piano sound? A synth lead sound? of the song ends.
manufacturers and heard brilliant keyboard A pad sound?
artists showcase their extraordinary abilities, at
some point Patrice Rushen and you and I are
alike. We each sit at an instrument with a lot of
black and white keys and make choices.
Even though music technology is changing
every day, the fact that you and I choose which
notes to play and where to play them hasn’t
changed. It doesn’t matter if you’re playing an
acoustic piano, a new MODX8 from Yamaha or
part, choose something else.
To summarize, what are some choices you and
Evaluate constantly
whether or not your
I are making measure after measure?
•
note, half note) or faster note values
(quarter notes, eight notes, etc)
•
Whether to stay in the same register of the
keyboard or move up or down to give the
part matters at
the moment.
Whether to play long note values (whole
song’s next section some contrast
• Whether to play a melodic line or not
• Whether to introduce a new sound or
a USB controller hooked up to your computer.
continue with current sound
You’ll still be making choices measure after
•
measure about what to do with the chords of Yep. Lots of choices. Lots of choices you make
your song. in each song you play. In each section of each
song. In each measure of each song.
Study recordings of Patrice Rushen and you’ll
Whether to play or not. Yep. We don’t
always need to play.
So, whether you’ve just unboxed the latest
and greatest model of keyboard from your
hear her confident mastery of jazz harmony. It I’ll quote Carl Albrecht, one of modern worship’s favorite manufacturer or are playing an acoustic
probably won’t take you too many measures most recorded drummers (and another of the piano that could really use a tuning, recognize
listening through one of her recordings to writers for this magazine), who says, “A great that you’re making choices. Your choices are
recognize that the chords in her songs are musician has big ears”. Don’t get too focused contributing to a service that can encourage
significantly more complex than what you and I on just what you’re playing on your keyboard. your listeners, inspire your listeners, give hope
play in our modern worship songs. Still, Patrice Always listen carefully to what’s being sung at to your listeners. Amazing, right? Your choices
is making choices about where to play the the moment and what’s being played by the matter, and their impact is unlimited in the
notes of her complex chords on her keyboard. rest of the band as well. If the song calls for you hands of our Loving God.
And when you’re playing “Who You Say I Am” to dominate with melodic activity, go for it, but in the key of A, you still have to decide where to always let your big ears do their job. Evaluate play the notes of those F#m D A and D chords constantly whether or not your part matters at of the bridge. the moment. If you’re distracting from the vocal
melody or conflicting with another instrumental
138
January 2019
Ed Kerr
Ed Kerr lives in Seattle with his family. He serves as
worship arts director at First Free Methodist Church,
teaches keyboards in Paul Baloche’s leadworship
workshops and is a clinician with Yamaha’s House
of Worship. He also manages the Yamaha Worship
Facebook group and invites you to join the group.
www.KerrTunes.com
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